Magnetic brush



Nov. 10, 1931.

w. s. PIERCE, JR 1,831,393

MAGNETIC BRUSH Filed April 29, 1950 INVENTOR W11) of PW BY ?-W41 H S ATTORN EYS Patented Nov. 10, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WINSLOW S. PIERCE, 33., OF BAYVILLE, NEW YORK MAGNETIC BRUSH Application filed April 29,

problem. The collection of such particles of metal on the articles is undesirable in that the forming operation may be impaired and the measurement of the articles during manufacture may be rendered inaccurate thereby.

With the above and other considerations in mind, it is proposed in accordance with the present invention to provide a magnetic brush for use in dislodging and collecting filings, shavings or other small particles of magnetic material. Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a magnetic brush of compact construction in which the brush handle comprises or includes suitable means for magnetizing the brush bristles. The invention further includes the provision of means for at times demagnetizing the brush bristles whereby the collected particles of magnetic material may be released from the brush.

Various other specific objects, advantages and characteristic features of the invention will be pointed out or will become apparent as the description thereof progresses.

In general, the objects of my invention are carried out by providing a brush handle including or consisting of a permanent magnet or an electro-magnet and by fixing bristles of magnetic material to such handle in close proximity to one pole of the magnet.

In one embodiment of the invention, two

' superimposed permanent magnets of elon- 1930. Serial No. 448,282.

netic material of low magnetic retentivity and are fixed to one of the magnets adjacent one pole thereof. 'When the magnets are disposed with their like poles in proximity the magnetic flux is additive and the bristles are 8 strongly magnetized, and when the magnets are reversed so that their unlike poles are 'in proximlty, the magnetic flux travels in a closed path through the two magnets and the bristles are demagnetized. When the magnets are thus reversed and placed in the demagnetizing position, the two magnets act as keepers for' each other and the magnetism thereof is accordingly retained for very extended periods when the brush is not in use.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which certain embodiments thereof have been illustrated. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a magnetic brush embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view of a modified form of the brush of my invention;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the magnets disposed in demagnetizing or neutralizing position;

Fig. 4 is a side view of a further modification of the invention; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional side view of a still further modification of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, the brush shown in Fig. 1 includes a handle member 1 formed of a suitable ferro-magnetic material having a high magnetic retentivity such as tempered steel. The handle member 1 is ma etized and aged in the manner usually emp oyed in producing permanent magnets. The bristles 2 are formed of a suitable magnetic material such as iron or steel and are fixed to a bristle block 3 by suitable means. The block 3, as Well as the means such as wires employed to fix the bristles therein, is preferably formed of magnetic material. The bristle block 3 is bolted, welded or otherwise suitably secured to the handle member 1 adjacent one end thereof as shown, and the bristles 2 are magnetized by the handle and hence attract and retain filings, shavings or other particles of magnetic material which come into contact therewith. In use, the bristles 2 act to dislodge small particles of magnetic material from objects, and further retain and remove these particles due to the magnetic attraction of the bristles.

In a modified form of the invention, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the handle member comprises two superimposed permanent magnets 4 and 5. The bristles 6 are secured in a bristle block 7 in the usual manner, and these parts are preferably formed of magnetic material having a low magnetic retentivity, such as soft iron. The bristle block 7 is fixed to the magnet 5 adjacent one end thereof by welding, bolting or in any other suitable manner. The two magnets 4 and 5 are preferably connected in such a manner that they may be reversed end-for-end. As shown, the magnets are pivotally connected at substantially their mid-points by suitable means such as the rivet 8, and the relative positions of these two magnets can accordingly be reversed by turning the magnet 4 through 180 with respect to the magnet 5. hen disposed in the manner shown in Fig. 2 with their north and south poles in proximity, the magnetization produced by the magnets 4 and 5 in the bristles 6 is additive andthe magnetic flux asses through the two magnets in parallel.

he magnets are arranged in this manner when in use and the bristles are strongly magnetized, the flux of the upper magnet 4 reinforcing that of the lower magnet 5. When a quantity of particles have been collected on the bristles 6 and it is desired to clean the brush, the upper magnet 4 is turned about the rivet 8 throu h 180, thus disposing the unlike polesof t e magnets 4 and 5 in proximity, as shown in Fig. 3. With this arrangement, the magnetization of the magnet 5 is neutralized by that of the magnet 4 and the bristles 6 are demagnetized and drop the collected particles or objects.

With the magnets 4 and 5 in the demagnetizing position, as shown in Fig. 3, the flux passes through the magnets in series and hence the magnets act as keepers for each other. Thus, when the brush is not in use, the magnets are preferably disposed as shown in Fig. 3 and the magnet-ism thereof is thereby retained for prolonged periods.

It has been found that by employing a slightly stronger magnetization in the upper or reversible magnet 4 than in the lower magnet 5, the removal of small magnetic particles from the bristles is facilitated. Thus, when the upper magnet 4 is movedto the reverse position as shown in Fig. 3, the magnetic polarity of the lower magnet 5 is not only neutralized but a slight resultant magnetism of reverse polarity is set up. This reverse polarity neutralizes the slight residual magnetism of the bristles .6 and the bristle block 7 so that no magnetism remains to hold even the lightest particles to the brush.

The bristles of my improved brush may be magnetized b means of an electro-ma t, if desired. T us, in the embodiment of ig. 4, the bristles 9 are fixed to the core 10 formed of soft iron or other magnetic material of low magnetic retentivity, and a coil 11 is wound about this core to produce an electromagnet. The coil 11 and core 10 preferably serve as the handle of the brush. When the coil- 11 is energized from a suitable source of direct current, the core 10 and the bristles 9 are magnetized and magnetic particles are attracted to and held by the bristles. The

. particles may be released from the bristles by deenergizing the coil 11, and thereby demagnetizing the core 10 and the bristles 9.

If desired, a source of direct current such as a battery may be associated with the brush and employed to energize an electro-magnet which magnetizes the brush bristles. This arrangement is shown in Fig. 5, in which the bristles 12 are fixed to a core 13 having a coil 14 wound thereon, the coil bein enclosed within a suitable casin 15 of cylindrical or other suitable shape. The casing 15 is preferably formed of insulating material. One or more dry cells 16 are disposed within the casing 15 and may be connected with the coil 14 through switchingmeans in any suitable manner. As shown, the central electrode of one end cell contacts with a conductive element 17 connected to one terminal of the coil 14, and the cup terminal of the other end cell is connected through the spring 18 to the removable cap 19. When fixed to the casing 15 as shown, the removable cap 19 is electrically connected to a conductor 20 which leads to a switch 21 of suitable construction disposed on the casing 15 at a point suitable for convenient operation by the thumb or finger of the operator. The switch 21 is connected through the conductor 22 to a conductive element 23 connected with the coil 14. It will be obvious that when the switch 21 is closed, current from the cells 16 will flow through the coil 14 and the core 13 and bristles 12 will accordingly be magnetized. The bristles 12 may be demagnetized and magnetic particles thereby released therefrom by releasing and opening the switch 21 and thus deenergizing and demagnetizing the electro-magnet.

It will be readily apparent that the magnetic brush of the present invention presents many advantageous features. Due to the magnetization of the bristles, the brush attracts and holds all particles of magnetic material which are dislodged from crevices or openings. The particles may be readily dropped from the bristles by the demagnetization thereof and may thus be deposited in one place rather than scattered about. The brush of the present invention is particularly effective in removing chips, turnings or filings' from the threads or other crevices of small machine parts during the manufacture thereof.

Although the present invention has been described in iconnection with a limited number of embodiments, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the constructions shown but includes all such modifications thereof as fall within the scope of the appended claims. For example, as shown in the modification of Fig. 5, the magnetism may be supplied by an element enclosed within the handle rather than by the handle itself. Further, the handle of the brush of Fig. 1 may be non-magnetic and either the bristle block 3 or the bristles 2 may be permanently magnetized.

I claim:

1. A brush having bristles of magnetic material and means permanently connected to said brush for magnetizing said bristles.

2. A brush comprising bristles of magnetic material and a handle including means for magnetizing said bristles.

3. A brush comprising bristles of magnetic material and a permanent magnet forming part of the structure of said brush for magnetizing said bristles.

4. A brush comprising bristles of magnetic material, a permanent magnet fixed to said bristles for magnetizing the same and means for at times shunting the flux of said permanent magnet away from said bristles.

5. A brush comprising bristles of magnetic material, a permanent magnet fixedto said bristles for magnetizing the same and means for selectively neutralizing and reinforcing the magnetism of said permanent magnet.

' 6. A brush comprising an elongated permanent magnet, bristles of magnetic material fixed to said magnet adjacent one end thereof, a second elongated permanent magnet and means for pivotally connecting said magnets adjacent their mid-points whereby the relative positions of said magnets may be reversed.

7. A brush comprising bristles of magnetic material, a permanent magnet, means for fixing said bristles to said magnet adjacent one pole thereof and a second permanent magnet movably fixed to said permanent magnet and selectively movable to positions in which the magnetism of said first magnet is neutralized and is reinforced by the magnetism of said second magnet.

8. A brush comprising an elongated permanent magnet, bristles of magnetic material fixed to one surface of said magnet adjacent one end thereof, a second permanent magnet superimposed on the other surface of said first permanent magnet and means for pivotally connecting said permanent magnets adjacent their mid-points whereby said second permanent magnet may 7 be selectively arranged to reinforce and to neutralize the magnetism of said first permanent magnet.

9. A brush comprising a pair of superimposed permanent magnets, means for pivotally connecting said magnets adjacent their mid-points and bristles of magnetic material of low magnetic retentivity fixed to one of said permanent magnets adjacent one end thereof, said magnets serving as the handle of said brush.

10. A brush comprising bristles of ferromagnetic material of low magnetic retentivity, a handle member comprising two superimposed elongated permanent magnets pivotally connected at their mid-points whereby said magnets may be selectively arranged so that the magnetism thereof is additive or is in opposition, and means for fixing said bristles to one of said permanent magnets adjacent one end thereof.

11. A brush comprising an elongated permanent magnet, bristles of magnetic material fixed to one surface of said magnet adjacent one end thereof, a second permanent magnet of greater magnetism than said first magnet superimposed on the other surface of said first magnet and means for pivotally connecting said permanent magnets adjacent their mid-points whereby said second magnet may be selectively arranged to reinforce and to oppose the magnetism of said first magnet. Y

12. A brush comprising bristles of magnetic material, an electro-magnet connected to said bristles by magnetic material for at times magnetizing said bristles and means for energizing said electro-magnet.

13. A brush comprising bristles of magnetic material, an electro-magnet fixed to said bristles for magnetizing the same and a source of electrical energy fixed to said brush structure for at times energizingsaid electro-ma net.

14. A brush comprising bristles of magnetic material, a handle for said brush, an electro-magnet in said handle having a core of magnetic material fixed to said bristles, a battery in said handle for at times energizing said electro-magnet and switching means carried by said handle for controlling the flow of current from said battery to said electro-magnet.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WINSLOW S. PIERCE, JR. 

